Delfino helps fill Rockets’ experience void

Share this:

McALLEN — Carlos Delfino completed his first practice with the Rockets and went into his usual post-practice stretching routine, which made him different from most of his new teammates.

He has been around long enough to have a routine.

The Rockets did not sign Delfino because he stretches well after workouts, but in many ways, that is typical of what they sought. On a team of prospects, they needed a pro.

The free-agent signing of a player with a career triple-single was far from exciting. “Solid” is not sensational, though the Rockets could certainly use some of that, too.

Yet with Delfino joining the team Thursday after visa difficulties delayed his arrival from his native Argentina for about 10 days, they believe the swingman will bring something less obvious that is still very much needed.

“With our roster, Carlos will be so much more valuable here than in other places because of what we don’t have,” said Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson, who coached Delfino in Milwaukee and helped recruit him to Houston. “We don’t have what he brings.

“Carlos’ greatest strength is he doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses. He’s just solid. That’s Carlos. There are a lot of 3-point shooters in this league, but he’s a 3-point maker. He has no highs or lows. Right now in theory our starting wings are Kevin (Martin) and Chandler (Parsons), but Carlos is also a starter. He started three years in Milwaukee. Having a guy like him off the bench with our young guys is just a big old security blanket.”

Has played in big games
The Rockets are likely to need that. If the starters shake out as Martin, Parsons, Jeremy Lin, Patrick Patterson and Omer Asik, that could leave a second unit with little or no NBA experience.

“Carlos has played in a lot of NBA games,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “He’s played in big games over in Europe. He’s played in big games in the Olympics and pre-Olympic stuff. He’s not going to be overwhelmed by anything. He’s going to come in and be a real pro, pick up things fast. Everyone runs a variation of offensive sets. If he hasn’t run it, he’s played against it. I think guys like him are hugely beneficial.”

Delfino, 30, is the Rockets’ oldest player and second-most experienced with seven seasons in the league (one fewer than Martin). They are the only Rockets players with more than one full season as an NBA starter. But given his relatively extensive experience, Delfino has been a part of a roster he considered similar to that of the Rockets.

“I don’t like comparisons, but I’ve been looking at it like this: Milwaukee was a young team three years ago when we made the playoffs,” Delfino said. “No one was expecting us to make the playoffs. I don’t want to say it was the same situation, but it is close. Expectations from people of other teams didn’t help us. We were under the radar.

“This is something that can be good for us. We’re a young team and can be something special.”

Jack of all trades
Delfino has averaged 7.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game in his career, coming off the bench for Detroit and Toronto before starting the past three seasons in Milwaukee, including on the 2009-10 playoff team.

He signed a two-year, $6 million contract, with the second year at the Rockets’ option, after speaking extensively with Sampson and former Rocket Luis Scola.

Delfino said he prefers to draw his own conclusions but added he knew what was expected of him before he ran through his first practice.

“I always try to do little things to be a glue guy,” Delfino said. “When it’s defending, defending; when it’s shooting, shooting. I say I don’t do nothing great, nothing special great.